Drinking in America

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The Real Housewives franchise is associated with all sorts of drama. Catfights, infidelity, tax evasion, you name it, these women have found a way to get tangled up in it. But somehow through all this money laundering and family feuding, they find time to become booze entrepreneurs (ha). We all know Skinnygirl Bethenny Frankel has found success but here are some other housewives that are dipping into the alcohol world.

 

Vicki’s Vodka – Orange County housewife Vicki Gunvalson, famous for slugging back vodka martinis on the show, started her own line of the spirit last year. Things were going great until her business partner sued her last week. He’s claiming Vicki gave her boyfriend part of her ownership without telling her partner. Tsk tsk Vicki, you should know better. Despite the legal woes, we hear the vodka’s not that bad.

 

“Fabellini” Sparkling Wine – Whether you love her or hate her, Teresa Giudice knows how to get attention. Maybe that’s why she released a line of sparkling wine. Or it could have been to support her criminal slob of a husband. Her Fabellini line is a sparkling wine with a blend of natural peach or raspberry flavors. The name alone has us laughing.

 

Zing Vodka – We’re surprised it took Beverly Hill’s housewife Adrienne Maloof this long to release her own vodka, seeing as her family owns half of Las Vegas. Zing Vodka debuted in 2012 with the release of their Red Velvet flavor. At no surprise to us, the bottles of vodka are lit up with LED lights to “enhance your experience.” Maybe the showy bottle is making up for some really gross vodka in the bottle.

 

Ramona Singer Pinot Grigio – Ramona is famous for two things: her crazy eyes and her addiction to Pinot Grigio. So naturally she had to start her own line. According to Ramona, it’s a smooth white wine, with a hint of fresh fruit and citrus. We hate to admit it but the wine is actually doing pretty well. Watch your back, Bethenny.

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Many seasoned runners run because they love it. Some of us run because we like to burn calories so that we can eat (or drink) a little extra every day. However, regardless of your reasons for running, road races are always a welcome break from the monotony of the daily treadmill. So which race do you choose? This probably doesn’t surprise you, but we make our decision based on beer: if the beer is free, we’re there.

 

Here are a few of our favorite summer 2013 road races that let you have a little fun and drink a little beer:

 

Bite of Bend Beer Run in Bend, OR (June 30, 2013)

Every year, Bend has a food festival and makes their Beer Run a part of it. You do an easy 5K loop and there are three beer stops along the way featuring Deschutes Brewery, 10 Barrel Brewing and Cascade Lakes beers. Your prize for finishing the race? More beer. The first 800 racers get a commemorative Beer Run growler. Goal: be one of those 800.

 

Narragansett Running Festival in Easton, MA (July 21, 2013)

With a 5K, 10K or half marathon to choose from, this is for runners of all abilities. Sponsored by Narragansett Beer, the Narragansett Running Festival takes place at Stonehill College followed by a huge post-race festival for you to enjoy. Don’t forget to go to the beer garden to claim the free beer that’s included in your race registration. And if you finish as a top runner of your age group, you’ll get a free pint glass. That’s enough motivation to keep us going.

 

Tap n’ Run in Oklahoma City, OK (August 10, 2013 ) and Denver, CO (August 24, 2013)

Tap n’ Run takes place in different cities every year, so if it’s not near you for 2013, definitely check back for 2014. If you’re a true beer lover with a sense of humor, this race is for you. It’s only 2.5 miles and there are beer chugging stations placed throughout the route. And, of course, you’re handed a nice full size brew at the end of the race along with a medal that doubles as a bottle opener. This sounds like our kind of race.

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They say don’t judge a book by its cover but when it comes to alcohol it’s hard not to. We’ve experienced our fair share of trashy booze but the new Smoke Liqueur (be careful vising the site) brings it to a whole new level.

 

It’s a ready to drink cocktail combo of vodka, Moscato, pineapple and coconut. Seems a little sweet but nothing extraordinarily special. The 26% ABV beverage has already made a name for itself in New York but will be rolling out nationally this summer. The $29.99 bottle is white frosted, adding a little sophistication to the packaging. It sounded like something we could drink… so we visited their website. Big mistake.

 

This is where it gets NSFW. Once we found our way past the raunchy images of half naked women and crowded clubs, we saw Smoke for what it really is: trash. If you think we’re being harsh, just check out their cocktail suggestions. Our favorites are “Ring the Alarm” and “Dat Purp.” The only place this liqueur belongs is a low-budget music video that never makes it to MTV.

 

So Smoke, you’ve duped us. Are you classy like your bottle or just plain raunchy like your website? Either way, we’re going to pass.

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We hear about a lot of weird cocktails, and the newest one we’ve encountered involves kelp.

 

You know, kelp. That big brown seaweed you see floating in the ocean. What? You’ve never stopped to consider the possibilities of combining seaweed and alcohol? (Don’t worry – we hadn’t either.)

 

Kelp is actually common in Asian countries, maybe because it contains tons of vitamins and nutrients. Healthy cocktails, like ones that use freshly juiced ingredients, have been popular the last few years, so it makes (a little) sense that people have been experimenting with kelp cocktails.

 

EVOE, a restaurant in New York City, teamed up with Bren Smith from Thimble Oyster Company and created a one-night-only “Drink Like a Fish” dinner with kelp cocktails and hors d’oeuvres earlier this month.

 

EVOE’s dinner was so popular, that they’re hosting another one tomorrow night (June, 19^th) at Louro Restaurant. It is a Japanese inspired 5-course fresh kelp dinner with kelp cocktail pairings; tickets are still available, so if you’re in the NYC area you can snag them here. Whether or not you go, their cocktail menu is worth checking out.

 

Green Blood Maria – Kelp, Tomato Water, Celery, Habanero, Lime

 

Sovereign Remedy - Kelp and Ginger Infused Yamazaki Whisky, Carrot, Honey, Lemon

 

Hokkaido Ferry – Kelp Infused Hakushu Whisky, Madeira, Cane Syrup, Peychaud’s Bitters

 

We don’t necessarily see kelp going mainstream, but it would be nice to have it accessible across the country for those of us who want to try it. We love when bars and restaurants get creative with their cocktails – what’s your favorite weird ingredient?

Unlike other spirits, it’s hard to find a flavored tequila. Recently we’ve seen two new flavor trends emerging: cinnamon tequila, and espresso tequila – naturally we were able to snag a bottle. Tequila Avión Espresso is a combo of Avión Silver and Italian espresso. Because we love both tequila and coffee, the DIA team found plenty of ways to drink it. Here’s what we thought:

 

On the rocks: Some of us drank the Avión straight with ice. Holy espresso. The flavor is intense but after the first few sips you can start to appreciate the rich coffee flavor and the smooth tequila finish. Most of us loved it; some likened it to cough medicine, due to the thick texture and syrupy mouth-feel. Our advice to the texture-haters was to let the ice melt, after a few minutes it had the perfect consistency.

 

With milk: Those of us with a less sophisticated palate (you know who you are) added milk to our Avión Espresso. We know what you’re thinking,: White Russian. The milk cut the intensity a bit and we were still able to taste the espresso and tequila. This is definitely better than the tired old Kahlua and vodka recipe.

 

People have also been known to shoot Avión Espresso. It goes down smooth, without the burn that follows most shots. Some of our DIAers also suggested putting it in hot chocolate or adding it to your coffee in the morning (we won’t tell).

 

Avión Espresso sells for about $25 a bottle. It won’t be a liquor cabinet staple for us, but if we’re looking for something unique, this is our go-to. Have you tried it?

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By now you know how we feel about craft beer. If we had to pick our one true love, craft beer would be a main contender. And when breweries release limited edition or special craft brews, we get really excited.

 

Last week Flying Dog announced two new beers to add to their Brewhouse Rarities series, a collection of one-off beers made from seriously non-traditional ingredients that they release in small batches once a month.

 

The first, Flying Dog Pineapple Saison, debuts this month. The summer ale is a combo of pineapple, pear and mango brewed from Saison yeast. Our first thought is that this is going to be sweeter than we’re used to. But maybe (just maybe) we’ll love it anyway. The beer will be served on draft only in Maryland, DC and Virginia this month.

 

When everyone has sucked down the Pineapple Saison, Flying Dog has another beer waiting on the sidelines. Flying Dog Belgian Devil launches this July and we can already tell by the name, that we’ll be stocking up. The Belgian golden ale has subtle hints of pear, apple and banana with an 8.5% ABV. It’ll be served on draft and in 750 ml bottles.

 

The two releases join beers like Chipotle Dark Ale, Green Tea Imperial Stout and Pumpernickel IPA in the Brewhouse Rarities collection. Would you go for any of these flavors?

 

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Today, we’re celebrating dear old Dad. If you’re looking for something last minute today, we’ve got you covered. It was acceptable in youth to give him homemade presents, but this year, step up your game and make him a homemade drink.

 

Here’s our favorite recipe for this Father’s Day.

 

The Switchblade (ignore the name)

1.5 ounces Bourbon
1.5 ounces Amaretto
1.5 ounces sweet-and-sour mix
Dash of Peychaud’s bitters

Shake and pour into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with lemon and lime peels and add a straw.

 

What are you planning for Father’s Day today?

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It takes someone hardcore to keep their beard through the hottest days of summer. It separates the men from the boys. For the fellow furry dudes out there, this one’s for us.

 

Beard Beer:

Created by Oregon-based brewery Rogue Ales, Beard Beer is just that… beer brewed using yeast from a guy’s beard. And not just any guy – John Maier, the Brewmaster at Rogue Ales. They actually sent a clipping of his beard to a lab to see if they could get any viable yeast from it. They claim it was sort of a joke, but much to their surprise, they were able to isolate a yeast in there that was perfect for brewing beer.

 

The Book of Craft Beerds:

We found a book… shocking. This is the perfect addition to your summer reading list because it requires very little brain power and/or reading skills, and is focused on man’s appreciation for beer, facial hair and cool pictures. Sign us up for that. The book is over 250 pages of beer-artwork. However, to be included in this literary masterpiece, the artwork has to depict sweet facial hair as well. Sounds like a win-win.

 

Cheers to beards and beers.

 

The latest ready-to-drink beverage has debuted and this time wine is the alcohol of choice. Myx Fusions is new to the scene and their serving up a moscato wine cooler.

 

The single serve moscato bottles are fruit infused and come in three different flavors: Original Moscato, Peach Moscato and Coconut Moscato. No need to keep reading if you’re not into Moscato, and our teeth hurt just thinking about it. They come in 6.3 oz. bottles with screw cap tops, so obviously very classy. They’re currently sold in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles and Las Vegas but have plans to roll out nationally soon.

 

The real kicker is that Nicki Minaj is the new face of their brand. This is giving us a pretty good image of what Myx wants to be… out of control, ridiculous and unpredictable come to mind, Bold move Myx, we’ll see how it works out for you.

You’re going to want to keep these popsicles out of children’s reach.

 

With the long, sunny days of summer approaching, the Poptail trend has once again crossed our radar. We love popsicles and we especially love cocktails, so what could be better than merging the two? While some of you may be content with a simple screwdriver pop, we prefer a something more exciting.

 

Here are some of our top picks:

 

If you have a favorite Poptail recipe, send us a link or share it with us on Pinterest.